JESUS?
A little girl sat waiting beside the road in front of the house she lived in with her family. All of her older brothers and sisters had gone to school but she was too young to go with them. Her birthday was coming soon, though, and she'd be starting in the Fall. It seemed to be taking forever!
But she had gone to Sunday School ever since she could remember. Her mother always ironed her one and only dress and saved it for Sundays. Sometimes she even had a shiny pair of shoes to wear with it. But more often than not, she wore her every-day shoes, her sneakers.
Once, a boy in her Sunday school class made fun of her shoes and the teacher took him outside to speak with him. He apologized to her when they came back inside but she was humiliated. The teacher told a story to the class the following Sunday which was illustrated by Jesus wearing just sandals.
She went home and asked her mother if she could have a pair of sandals like Jesus wore in the Bible. Her mother just smiled and shook her head. She wondered if she should pray for a pair; maybe that would work.
So with real school just months away and her regular Sunday School class once a week, she was excited to be learning. Who knew that the world was round? She did! Who knew that there really was a Santa Claus? She did! Who knew all her alphabit and could count to 100? she could!
So on this foggy, Monday morning (the day after Easter) she sat beside the busy road and watched all of the big cars and long trucks go flying past her. She wasn't at all afraid as she knew not to go in the road; her parents had told her that many times. She just liked to feel the cool breeze when the largest trucks flew by her.
Suddenly, she wasn't alone. A very large, black car had stopped and a man with a suit approached her. Now her parents had also warned her about talking to strangers and he looked strange to her.
"Hi" he said, removing his big hat. She just sat still and looked away.
"What's your name?" he asked. She noticed he had yellow stripes up and down his pant legs; she started to grin to herself.
"Well, will you tell me your name if I guess which house you live in?" He couldn't help but notice her big brown eyes and olive complexion.
He guessed correctly so she said "Heather".
He was very tall and she saw his shadow on the ground. She liked shadows. Her older sisters had taught her how to make shadows in their darkened bedroom, on the walls. Sometimes, they frightened her as they looked so real. She was afraid it might be a REAL bat!
The man in the striped suit had taken her hand and was walking her home. She wondered if her mother would be angry with her for talking to him. But when her mommy saw her she was VERY happy!
"Heather!" she said. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Where were you?"
She thanked the stranger for bringing her daughter home and as he left, he patted the top of her dark hair and said "Now please do not get that close to the main highway again, ok, dear?"
She shook her head no, she wouldn't, and he reached inside his jacket pocket and gave her a purple lollipop. She loved candy and though they never got candy for Easter, she saw purple candy once at her friend's house on Easter Sunday.
After he had walked back up to his vehicle, Heather's mother asked her again what she had been up to? "Well?"
"I was waiting for Jesus."
"Waiting for Jesus? Why, whatever do you mean, Heather?"
"Doesn't He come after Easter? Isn't He alive now? Our teacher said so yesterday. I went up there so he would find me; we live so far away from the road."
"I want to find Jesus and he wants to find me; I just know He does." And she started to cry, afraid that her mother didn't believe her.
But her mother held her on her lap and as she smelled molasses cookie dough on her floured apron, she listened to the story of Jesus. Yes, Jesus was alive as she was but the special day that He chose to come to them and make his presense known, had not happened yet.
"Oh" Heather said. "Like my 5th birthday and my sandals? I have to wait "pay-shtnlee"......"
"Sorta" smiled her mommy. "We will all know at the same time when Jesus arrives. But we need to always be ready for His coming. It will be a glorious day!"
"Swell" she said. "Now can I eat my lollipop?"
She sat outside in her tire swing under the tree and ate her candy and thought to herself "Maybe that man in the suit was Jesus?"
"Nah" she thought. "That was just a comic book fella!" And she couldn't wait to tell her Sunday School teacher on Sunday!
A little girl sat waiting beside the road in front of the house she lived in with her family. All of her older brothers and sisters had gone to school but she was too young to go with them. Her birthday was coming soon, though, and she'd be starting in the Fall. It seemed to be taking forever!
But she had gone to Sunday School ever since she could remember. Her mother always ironed her one and only dress and saved it for Sundays. Sometimes she even had a shiny pair of shoes to wear with it. But more often than not, she wore her every-day shoes, her sneakers.
Once, a boy in her Sunday school class made fun of her shoes and the teacher took him outside to speak with him. He apologized to her when they came back inside but she was humiliated. The teacher told a story to the class the following Sunday which was illustrated by Jesus wearing just sandals.
She went home and asked her mother if she could have a pair of sandals like Jesus wore in the Bible. Her mother just smiled and shook her head. She wondered if she should pray for a pair; maybe that would work.
So with real school just months away and her regular Sunday School class once a week, she was excited to be learning. Who knew that the world was round? She did! Who knew that there really was a Santa Claus? She did! Who knew all her alphabit and could count to 100? she could!
So on this foggy, Monday morning (the day after Easter) she sat beside the busy road and watched all of the big cars and long trucks go flying past her. She wasn't at all afraid as she knew not to go in the road; her parents had told her that many times. She just liked to feel the cool breeze when the largest trucks flew by her.
Suddenly, she wasn't alone. A very large, black car had stopped and a man with a suit approached her. Now her parents had also warned her about talking to strangers and he looked strange to her.
"Hi" he said, removing his big hat. She just sat still and looked away.
"What's your name?" he asked. She noticed he had yellow stripes up and down his pant legs; she started to grin to herself.
"Well, will you tell me your name if I guess which house you live in?" He couldn't help but notice her big brown eyes and olive complexion.
He guessed correctly so she said "Heather".
He was very tall and she saw his shadow on the ground. She liked shadows. Her older sisters had taught her how to make shadows in their darkened bedroom, on the walls. Sometimes, they frightened her as they looked so real. She was afraid it might be a REAL bat!
The man in the striped suit had taken her hand and was walking her home. She wondered if her mother would be angry with her for talking to him. But when her mommy saw her she was VERY happy!
"Heather!" she said. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Where were you?"
She thanked the stranger for bringing her daughter home and as he left, he patted the top of her dark hair and said "Now please do not get that close to the main highway again, ok, dear?"
She shook her head no, she wouldn't, and he reached inside his jacket pocket and gave her a purple lollipop. She loved candy and though they never got candy for Easter, she saw purple candy once at her friend's house on Easter Sunday.
After he had walked back up to his vehicle, Heather's mother asked her again what she had been up to? "Well?"
"I was waiting for Jesus."
"Waiting for Jesus? Why, whatever do you mean, Heather?"
"Doesn't He come after Easter? Isn't He alive now? Our teacher said so yesterday. I went up there so he would find me; we live so far away from the road."
"I want to find Jesus and he wants to find me; I just know He does." And she started to cry, afraid that her mother didn't believe her.
But her mother held her on her lap and as she smelled molasses cookie dough on her floured apron, she listened to the story of Jesus. Yes, Jesus was alive as she was but the special day that He chose to come to them and make his presense known, had not happened yet.
"Oh" Heather said. "Like my 5th birthday and my sandals? I have to wait "pay-shtnlee"......"
"Sorta" smiled her mommy. "We will all know at the same time when Jesus arrives. But we need to always be ready for His coming. It will be a glorious day!"
"Swell" she said. "Now can I eat my lollipop?"
She sat outside in her tire swing under the tree and ate her candy and thought to herself "Maybe that man in the suit was Jesus?"
"Nah" she thought. "That was just a comic book fella!" And she couldn't wait to tell her Sunday School teacher on Sunday!
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